Question: I don’t like smoking, but all my friends do. They are always buggin’ me to join them and smoke. I think it is gross. But they won’t shut up about it. What should I do? Answer: You are smart for not wanting to smoke despite the pressure. I think you should stand to your [...]

Relationships can be hard especially with someone you really care for, or if the person you’ve known for a while is having trouble, or even if you’re trying to start a new one. Just remember that trust and communication can make or break any bond whether it be in the beginning or end of a friendship. [...]

In many school hallways across the country, children and teens are being bullied. Kids are spreading rumors, making fun of other students’ religion, teasing someone for how they look, hurting others because they have a different cultural background, picking on them because they are homosexual or sending harassing messages online.  About 77 percent, students are [...]

Dear Julianna, People make fun of me sometimes because I try to do well in school. I want to succeed in life and buy nice things for my parents when I’m older. I’m only trying to make my life better. What can I do when I get teased about making good grades? Dear Friend, It [...]

Dear Latinitas, For the past few weeks, my best friend and I haven’t really been talking. We treat each other as if we don’t know each other. I want our friendship to go back to what it was. What can I do? Dear Friend, I have been in your same situation. One of the best [...]

Question: There is this boy I really like at school. I want to tell him I like him, but I’m scared he might not like me. What do I do? Advice: How will the boy ever know how you feel about him if you don’t tell him? Don’t be afraid of what the answer may be. [...]

Latinitas share their thoughts about what makes a good friend. My best friend is a good friend because she listens, and is nice. It is important to have a good friendship, so you can have someone to talk to. I’m a good friend because I’m positive, nice, trustworthy, expressive, a good listener, smart, and more [...]

By Readers Q. One day I was getting ready to go to my friend’s house. We started playing tag with our brothers. My friend and I were trying to run away and she accidentally hit herself with some decorations that were on the floor. So she got hurt. She started bleeding and got mad at [...]

Question: Dear Latinitas, My mom and dad are divorced and I miss my dad. What should I do? -No Longer Daddy’s Girl Answer: Divorce is a very hard thing for everyone – your parents, brothers, sisters and you. I’m almost positive it is just as hard for them as for you. Everyone has their own [...]

Q. Help! I really like a boy in one of my classes. All my friends know that I like him. A few of them tease me and are planning to tell him. How do I stop them from doing this? – Fearing the Worst A.Dear Fearing the Worst, I can see your dilemma. It is [...]

One day at school you find out that a mean and ugly rumor is being spread around about you. You know it’s not true, but no one believes you.You don’t know how to deal with it and you feel that everyone has turned on you even your closest friends. Unfortunately, for many girls this is [...]

We believe that friends have our backs and that friendships will remain strong. In some instances, not everyone that we befriend is right for us. These type of friends are often referred to as toxic friends. Toxic friends tend to have their own agenda and cause emotional pain. Luckily, toxic friends are easy to spot. These [...]

Bullying stops here. February  marks the month for the awareness of anti-bullying. As advertising and stories surface to stand against bullying, Latinitas Magazine, too, will take a stand. In the halls of any school in America, you will find the issue of bullying. However academically challenging the school may be, bullying is an issue and [...]

Tests can be a stressful time for students. Time management, getting enough sleep, joining study groups and eating healthy are a few things students should pay close attention to before tests. Here are a few more tips to help you ace the test. It is always best to ask for help if there are subjects [...]

Corina Perez is a senior at a Central Texas high school. Currently, she is the baby of the family and is very motivated to pursue her goals, but is also nervous about leaving her friends. Her favorite character is Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh. She works in a jewelry store part-time. Are you ready to [...]

For those of us who can’t make it home this holiday season, it might just feel a little lonely. But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are many reasons why we sometimes feel like we’ve got a bad case of the holiday blues, but many others why being alone during the holidays can [...]

Who You Calling A B@#!? So rings the lyrics of the Queen Latifah song, fed up and angry at folks everywhere who think it’s ok to talk to women and girls like this, the famous singer, as with her peers like Eve and Beyonce tells a story many girls live. Thirteen year old Yolanda Solis [...]

“My hips are huge!” Karen from the movie Mean Girls exclaims. “Oh please. I hate my calves,” Gretchen replies. “At least you guys can wear halters. I’ve got man shoulders,” Regina tells her reflection. Scenes like these, though exaggerated, are happening in our very homes. Girls of all ages, starting as young as four-years-old, are being taught [...]

We asked our readers what tips they have to help other Latinitas love and appreciate their own beauty. Here are their top tips to love your body. Everybody is beautiful and awesome in their own way. Don’t feel bad about yourself. Everybody is beautiful and awesome in their own way. Exercise and eat better. This [...]

“Men underestimate women,” claims high school senior Jessica Gallardo. “Some women are mentally strong. We can overpower anyone,” she adds. Gallardo is one of many teens that believe that women are capable of doing anything they set their mind to. It’s been almost 40 years since the Women’s Liberation Movement occurred in the 1960’s and [...]

What is Bullying? Some young people are bullied because they are different in some way. Perhaps, it is the color of their skin, the way they talk, their size, or their name. Well, as you might know, bullying is occurring all around you. Not only is bullying physical, but it is mental and verbal as [...]

When this country was founded, women had no rights. They were not educated and considered property to men. They were not allowed to vote or take part in politics. If they worked, they had little control over the money they earned. Women were completely dependent on men and confined by double standards. Since then, women [...]

Instead of looking for the typical part-time job at retail stores, restaurants and ice-cream parlors, think about an internship. An internship is a job in which a student works, often without pay, in order to gain hands-on experience in a field they are interested in. Internships are mostly reserved for college students, but more opportunities [...]

Graduating from college is many people’s dream. However, Janean Esparza*, a Radio Television and Film senior at a University in Texas, will not be fulfilling her dreams. Like many undocumented immigrant youth living in the U.S., Janean has been dreaming of the passage of the “Dream Act,” a bill which would provide a pathway to [...]

We came here from Mexico To look for Freedom We crossed the border with Scratches And scrapes Burns And blisters Everyone seemed nice Everyone was friendly Everything was fine The govenor changed The law Now we’re like prisoners Stuck in our homes Scared to come out We’re like turtles Stuck in our shells We work [...]

Suppose you found the person with whom you wanted to spend the rest of your life with, now imagine your own government telling you that the two of you can’t get married or that you could but you would not be granted the same civil rights as other married couples because of your sexual orientation. [...]

What does being a teen mean, usually? It means having fun, hanging out with friends, going to parties, and doing other random stuff! But, what happens when you have to care for someone 24-7 – no breaks. Someone who not only needs to be fed, cleaned, changed, but needs your undivided attention, love, support and [...]

Recycling has gained an international momentum. With this new change of pace, active steps are being taken in different states and countries to ensure mother nature is plastic bag free. Using reusable bags is not only chic, it helps the environment. Plastic Bag Tax across the globe In 2002, Ireland implemented what they called a PlasTax, [...]

Volunteering is a rewarding experience. The memories you make as a volunteer will last a lifetime. One of the best benefits that is obtained from volunteering is the fact that you have made an impact on someone’s life!  Here are five fun ways you can get started in helping make a difference in your community [...]

Recently, Angela had the opportunity to attend the National Summit of Childhood Obesity. Angela, age seventeen, is a leader at the Boys and Girls Club in Nevada and has been part of the organization for four years. She is in the Triple Play Sports Leadership Club, the Keystone Club and she works as a leader [...]

Do you have a passion for helping animals?  Here are five ways you can help our homeless furry friends! According to the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), five to seven million homeless pets enter animal shelters in our country every year where four million are euthanized, or put to sleep.  Sadly, the majority of destroyed [...]

1. Pursue Your Interests If you’re doing something that you love, it shows. Not only will you feel better about yourself but you will give more effort and more time. If you’re a soccer chica, you love kids or you’re interested in art there is most likely an organization for you. Chances are you will [...]

After a long day of high school, with all the homework and the teachers and the gossip, who has time for a job? Is it not enough to have to worry about all of those things without adding on the stresses of working afterschool at the local burger joint? Despite the many issues the average [...]

What’s wrong with our planet? The Earth’s many ecosystems are in a bind right now. People are crowding out animal and plant populations, using up the energy resources, over-fishing the seas, and throwing trash everywhere! It has been slowly destroying animal and plant habitats for centuries and polluting the air, land, water, and soil. If [...]

At age 13, Gabby Castillo sits down once a month with people double, triple her age that are going through what she is going through. She drives with her mother one Saturday of the month from her hometown in Lockhart, Texas to San Antonio to discuss her struggle with Lupus with other members of the [...]

Danielle, age 17, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was three years old. “I felt scared and did not know what to think. I was not aware of what it meant to be diabetic, but I had a feeling I was going to have it for a long time…” she said. Although she [...]

Acceptance….It is a simple word to understand, but hard to gain. Despite the progress our society has made in recognizing people from various diverse backgrounds and lifestyles, a group that still struggles for acceptance is homosexuals. As homosexuality is growing within our community, it is still difficult for young Latina lesbians to go around the [...]

Did you ever wonder what it would be like to be adopted? Have you ever wondered how you might react to the news? Would you be angry, sad, happy or confused? Most adopted parents fear the reaction to the news, “You are adopted.” Elisa Cruz Torres, 18, was only 4 years old when she learned [...]